Wednesday, February 20, 2013

'Mulan' Offers Up Girl Power at the El Capitan

CC stands on Hollywood Boulevard outside the El Capitan. (The bleachers are for the Oscars, on Feb. 24.)

Out of all the Disney "princess" movies, Mulan is by far CC's favorite. In fact, she asked for a Mulan doll for Christmas (it was actually hard to find!), and she's memorized a couple of the songs—I've heard I'll Make a Man Out of You more than a few times from my car's back seat.

That's why I was so excited that the 1998 Disney film was coming to Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre. (It's playing through March 6.) CC and I gladly accepted an invitation to go and take a look. As expected, it was magical.

Of course we had to brave the packed stretch of Hollywood Boulevard that's overflowing with bleachers for this weekend's Oscars. There were tons of people out, passing through the pre-award show madness.

Once we got inside, I remembered just how amazing the theater is for kids—and adults, too. The organist was playing classic Disney songs. Kids and their parents were filing in, carrying popcorn and drinks, and we were even greeted by an usher from Berlin! (CC got to practice a few words.)

Mulan (Photo: (c) Disney)

Mulan was preceded by a fun dance performance by a costumed Mulan character. Capped off with a colorful pop of confetti, the pre-show was an especially entertaining way to settle in before the show.

The movie itself, about a young woman in China who must pretend to be a man to fight in the army against the Huns, is inspiring and a great source of girl-power inspiration for CC. I love that Mulan was so courageous and fought for what she believed in—making mistakes along the way, sure, but kicking some serious Hun bum.

Take a look, if you're looking for a fun outing with the kiddos. What I especially loved was that CC and I could get some good mother-daughter time in over the weekend. That's become a little rarer these days, and I don't want her to forget just how much I love being with her.